DARED BY A MONSTER—sounds adventurous, right? As Japan’s ambassador to the mysterious Dagon Kueengdom, I’m supposed to bring honor to my family and strengthen alliances—not fall for the charming menace who put me in this position. A.K.A. The Dagon ambassador. A.K.A. Dairfyn The Deviant. The man is everything I’m not—bold, carefree, and insufferably charismatic. Their insistence that I broker the trade treaties between my country and the Dagon kueengdom forces us to be together. Day after day. Night after night. Stirring emotions inside of me that I would rather keep locked away. Yet every time I try, they’re waiting. Dominating me. Distracting me. Disrupting all my carefully made plans. But when a shadowy enemy sets their sights on us, sabotage and whispers of betrayal ripple through the alliance. One misstep could mean war between our worlds—or worse. Danger lurks around every corner as Dairfyn and I are thrust deeper into a world of deception. Our survival hinges on the fragile trust blooming between us, but as the peril escalates, so does the electricity between this monster and me. Can we untangle the truth before the darkness consume us, or will surrendering to the fire between Dairfyn and me finally bring everything to light?